49 Cousin

{AN: In the end, I'll go with the simple and call her Rong'er, keeping some nicknames for the teasing. The conversations change a little but nothing too much.}

Curious about the aura, Rongrong and Haotian approached to see what happened.

Over the central plaza, two people stood while surrounded by a big crowd of students. One of them was an imposing big old man over 2 meters tall and with big muscles who stood exuding the Spirit Douluo's spirit power, directed to the other one who was a blue-haired boy that was kneeling on the ground with some like spider's legs surging from his back trying to keep him standing from the pressure.

"You know what's all this about, Rong'er?" Haotian asked Rongrong.

'Over the Shrek Academy and Tang San receiving the aura from a Spirit Douluo' Haotian searching around and found a burning incense half-burned 'Clearly a bet' Haotian's gaze fell over the old man 'He should be the patriarch of the Strength Clan, having come from a pity quarrel with his son and grandson.'

"I don't know" Rongrong shook her head "I should help Third Brother." Rongrong was about to charge over the crowd but was stopped by Haotian's arm.

"You shouldn't. Look" He said pointing at the incense "It should be some kind of bet and the Spirit Douluo is only using his pressure so nothing too extreme would happen" 'At least he is not as extreme as Dugu Bo that almost killed me for a little fight with Yan.' "Let's learn what's all about before act."

Rongrong nodded, thinking about it better. She asked about it to a near student who eagerly answered as the Seven Shrek Devils were considered idols of the academy, being the strongest.

Like Haotian had thought, the old man was Tai Tan the head of the Strength Clan that had come for revenge from his family. In the end, Tang San and Tai Tan had made a bet, if Tang San was able to resist Tai Tan's pressure for a stick of incense, Tai Tan would join the Tang Sect, if not Tang San would join the strength clan.

"This is clearly bullying!" Rongrong indignant "How dare a Spirt Douluo like him to force Third Brother to join his clan!?"

"Calm down, Rong'er" Haotian said while his gaze was focused away from the plaza and the crowd "If something is about to happen, I'm sure that they would stop it." He said signaling his gaze direction where three people stood hiding their pressure, away from the crowd while calmly looking the plaza.

"Dad?!" Rongrong asked confused.

Certainly, one of the three people was Fengzhi while the other two were Chen Xin and Meijing.

'What is Mei doing here?' Haotian thought intrigued.

"Go with him and tell them that there's no need for them to act. I would stop the battle myself before it's too late" Haotian told Rongrong.

"Are you crazy, Tian?!" Rongrong said shocked "He is a Spirit Douluo! And from the Strength Clan! You would finish injured if you try to stop him!"

"It's not every day that I have the opportunity to spar with such a senior and..." Haotian grinned "I have a very strong body."

Rongrong sharply looked at him with distrust, but looking at his carefree attitude, it seemed that there was no problem. She sighed "Okay, you can try but be careful. Don't force yourself" Rongrogn said worriedly.

"How could I dare to worry my little princess?" Haotian said teasingly with a smile on his face.

"Hum!" Rongrong hummed, avoiding his gaze. She turned around "Be safe" She said with concern before starting running towards his father.

Over the plaza, the incense stick was about to be burned, irritating Tai Tan. He was shocked about Tang San's strength being able to last so much. He didn't want to use his full strength and cripple him, but he was being pushed to it.

"Boom!" Finally, Tai Tan unleashed his full strength, his full pressure falling over Tang San's body.

Receiving such pressure, Tang San's body couldn't keep it more, unconsciously activating his second spirit, a hammer appearing over him, hidden by his own body and being sensed by very few people.

"That! C-could it be?!" Tai Tan was shocked by it, preparing to lessen the pressure when suddenly he felt killing intent from his back.

Tai Tan quickly turned around to meet a red-scaled punch. The attack had been too sudden, not having detected the intruder, it was like if he had appeared from thin air.

He didn't have time to use any spirit skill so he threw himself a punch, focusing his strength to his mysterious attacker, meeting with the approaching one. If he was confident in something it was of his strength, all his configuration focused on it, increased it passively, not losing even over Titled Douluos.

"BOOOM!" The two punches crashed between each other, creating a strong blast that reached even the crowd, pushing them away.

"Tch!" Tai Tan clinched his tongue in fury as he was pushed three meters. He was angry to be pushed away even with his bad position as he didn't have detected any spirit skill in his attacker.

He turned to his attacker who had been also pushed three meters, his eight spirit rings appearing over him as he prepared to fight with all his strength, paying for the sneaky attack.

"Hah?!" Tai Tan's mouth went wide as his gaze fall over the attacker and found a young man that shouldn't be more than 16 years old 'How could it be someone so young?!'

Tai Tan shook his head scattering away his thought as he prepared to fight, activating his third skill, his body and muscles increasing in size and his strength increasing exponentially. There were techniques and treasures to hide your real age, so it meant nothing the looks as he could be an old monster.

Tai Tan dashed forward towards the boy, cracking the floor under him, while the boy dashed as blue flames formed around him, pushing him forward.

"Bang!" From the sky, something pierced the ground between Tai Tan and his attacker, stopping both of them. A big sword piercing the ground was standing between both and over the hilt stood Chen Xin calmly.

"It has become a hobby of you to bully youngster, Old Orangutan?" Chen Xin said.

"What are you talking, Old Sword?! He is clearly old e-" Tai Tan pointed at the boy, but he was frozen as he was finally able to sense the boy's cultivation "A Spirit Ancestor?" He said shocked.

The boy smiled at Tai Tan and joined his hands "I am Hu Haotian a rank 49 Spirit Ancestor. Thanks for the spar senior Tai" Haotian said grinning, clearly making fun of him. However, Tai Tan mind was in another place.

'A mere Spirit Ancestor was not only able to stand my pressure and attack, he was even able to meet and draw my punch? Impossible!'

Of course, it wasn't so simple. Haotian's body strength was incredibly high, but it wouldn't be comparable with a Spirit Douluo like Tai Tan who focused on it. However, with the use of his spirit bone whose manifestation increased his arm strength, plus his sneak attack, perfectly calculating the time to show his killing intent to meet Tai Tan's punch but without giving him time to use his spirit skills.

In the end, Haotian wanted to try the actual strength of his body comparing it with Tai Tan. he was certainly satisfied being to draw with him even when everything was against him.

Chen Xin turned to Haotian and scolded him "Haotian, you shouldn't have tried to continue fighting, you would have ended badly."

"Sorry, senior Chen" Haotian lowered his head, completely knowing that he was right. He had found his spirit bone fusing more with his body after the punch, causing him to want to fight more even when he had only planned to one hit at first. Taking more than what he could endure.

"On another note, why had you come here?" Haotian asked curiously.

"Once you informed that Mei'er was searching for a spirit ring, I went to the forest to search for her" Chen Xin answered "I was lucky enough to find her and help her hunting a spirit beast. Then, before returning her to your academy, I wanted her to meet Rong'er at Shrek."

'So it was like that.'

"Shinx" Light fell from the sky, falling over Haotian and Tang San, making them recover their spirit energy.

"I think that we need a good talk" Fengzhi, whose spirit caused the light, approached them, followed by Meijing and Rongrong, with a smile as he looked over Tai Tan and Tang San, clearly having seen the hammer from Tang San.

After some talk, it was decided that Tang San will talk with Fengzhi about his family first, then with Tai Tan.

"Talk about each other while we are discussing something" Chen Xin said to Rongrong and Meijing.

"Yes, we will inform you later" Fengzhi nodded "You can join us when we return" he said to Haotian. Then, with Tang San and Chen Xin, he was guided to a prepared room from Shrek Academy to talk, leaving Haotian, Rongrong and Meijing alone.

"Tian, I missed you" Meijing jumped over Haotian, hugging him tightly.

"Me too" Haotian smiled wrapping her between his arms "You worked hard" Haotian could sense Meijing's cultivation had gone directly to rank 42, meaning that she had absorbed an old enough spirit ring, most surely a black one, not wanting to lose against Chenxiang.

"Yes, thanks to grandpa I was able to find a good beast" Meijing smiled.

'So she is Haotian's girlfriend' Rongrong thought as she looked at the couple 'She is certainly beautiful and strong, but I don't think I'm worst.'

She broke the hug and turned to Rongrong "Sorry to not present myself before. I am Chen Meijing." She said with a beautiful smile "You should be Rongrong, grandpa had talked a lot about you. Nice to meet you."

"Y-yes!" Rongrong hurriedly said, forgetting about her thoughts "I'm Ning Rongrong. Grandpa Sword had also talked about you a lot."

Meijing approached Rongrong and took her hands "Let's get well together!" Meijing beamed "We have the same grandpa so we are close to family, like cousins. I would really like to become close friends."

Rongrong seemed to be infected by Meijing's big smile and warm voice, she herself smiling brightly and receiving her good feelings "Of course!"

Then under Haotian's gaze who was mostly ignored, the girls started talking about each other especially over their time with Chen Xin, laughing and giggling about how serious he could be, their relationship becoming closer, making it seem impossible that they had only met today.

Haotian looked warmly at the girls talking, not wanting to interrupt them 'Mei always acts differently with me and my girls so I'm glad that she is able to open like a normal girl and talk to Rongrong as family.'

"What do you think Fengzhi is talking with Tang San?" Meijing asked Rongrong, curious about why they were left alone, not that she complained as it would be far more awkward with Chen Xin there.

"I don't know what dad is thinking" Rongrong shook her head.

"It should be about Tang San being Tang Hao's son." Haotian finally talked.

"Are you talking about the Clear Sky Douluo?" Meijing asked curiously. At the academy, she had learned a lot, including history and of course she knew who was the Clear Sky Douluo.

Haotian nodded.

"Third Brother is Tang Hao's son?!" Rongrong was shocked "How do you know?!"

"Ah? You didn't know?" Haotian faked surprise "In this battle against Tai Tan, Tang San had used a Clear Sky Hammer for an instant, most probably unconsciously. Then is only to sum 2+2. A talented boy of his age, not being part of the hidden Clear Sky Clan, with a Clear Sky Hammer and Blue Silver Grass. It's clear who is he."

"Of course" Rongrong realized "I doubt that Tang San even knew it. He had always talked about his father as someone normal."

"Did you get alone well?" Fengzhi and Chen Xin appeared from the academy, interrupting their conversation.

"We are not little kids, dad. Don't treat as like that" Rongrong said pissed "But yes, Mei is very kind and funny, we had already become friends!"

"Family" Meijing corrected with a smile, Rongrong nodding at her.

"I'm glad" Chen Xin nodded accepting it.

"Dad, what did you talk about with Third Brother?" Rongrong asked.

"It's already getting later, Rongrong and we need to bring Haotian and Meijing to their academy" Fengzhi excused "I will inform you later or you can always ask Tang San"

Rongrong made an angry look but she didn't gain anything with it. She sighed and prepared to ask to Tang San.

"Good bye, Rongrong. Let meet again soon" Meijing said goodbye.

"Yeah, let's meet again all together!" Rongrong said looking at Haotian and Meijing.

"I look forward to it" Haotian answered.

Then Rongrong separated from the group. She went over a near building while the other went for their carriage.

"Had you made a deal with Tang San?" Haotian asked Fengzhi as they approached towards two prepared carriages.

Fengzhi was a little surprised about having been discovered "Yes, he would create weapons for our clan. How did know?"

At that Haotian simply smiled, not answering anything. He took Meijing's hand and brought her to one of the carriages, entering in it with her.

"Sigh" Fengzhi shook his head "That boy" He with Chen Xin entered the other carriage heading to the clan. Both carriages separating to their own destinations.

...

Over his carriage, Haotian fell asleep on Meijing's lap. He had spent a great deal of mental energy cultivation and was really tired, not waiting until the academy.

Meijing looked with a smile at Haotian's sleeping face while she caressed his hair. She turned around, the smile over her face disappearing and showing a cold and calculative expression "Should I continue to treat Rongrong like an unimportant girl or I'll need to show her her place."

Haotian didn't know but Meijing's character changed completely depending with whom she met, flawlessly adapting. Over the academy, she was able to become the perfect noble girl, acquiring support and secretly controlling most of the students there, forcing them to not approach Haotian. She was the culprit of Haotian's low popularity even when he was handsome and strong, wanting to keep Haotian mostly for herself.

"Would you stand in my way, c-o-u-s-i-n?" She said coldly before turning to look at the sleeping Haotian, her face blooming into a beautiful smile.